Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-09-16
The Value of a Name.

The promoters of the Manchester Ship
Canal are said to have already expended
S1,750,000 in furthoring their scheme,
and the first sod has yot to be turned.
AS the total estimate cost is $2S, 900,
represents a very handsome percentage
of the amount tC be expended in simply
getting ready" The usual addition of
10 per cent. "for contingen cies" would be
far out in this case. In this preliminary
expense sheet there is said to be q fee of
$4,000 paid the late James B. Eads
for professional opinicn. If this is
correct, and there seems little reason to
doubt it, this is probably the largest pro-
fessional single fee ever paid to an
Anne rican engineer. And with all due
credit to Mr.. Eads, it shows the value of
a wide reputation as a man of sound
natural judgment and experience in
great undertakings as compared with
that of the more modest engineer proper
who has only extensive but purely pro-
fessional experiences to recommend him.
The professional position of Mr.. Eads,
as an engineer, is rather difficult to de-
fine. He was purely self-made man
and entirely without what is recognized
as a technical education as an engineer,
and yet he possessed in high degree
and made excellent use of that inherent
something without which tie best trained
engin Ger IN the world will not succeed.
He instinctiyely understood both the
management of men and matter, and
without the knowledge necessary to figure
a strain sheet, not only was he the execu-
tive engineer in building what was in its
day the bridge of boldest span, but he
also so impressed others who we're not
engineers with his ability to carry out
his projects, and with his sound judg
meat in advancing plans that they fur
nished him with all the money required.
His skill in managing affairs was well ex-
emplified in this case, where the actual
cost of this then novel feat of engineer
ing was about $4,000, 900 on an original
estimate of less than $5,O0O,0O0. His
great work in opening the mouth of the
| Mississippi to navigation was also the re-
suit of the possession of other accom-
plishments than that of pure engineering
knowledge alone. He doubtless had an
advantage over engineers generally in
| having made almost a life-stIdy of the
river he proposed to improve, and he had
become familiar with it's yagaries and
power by long service in that best of all
schools-the school of experience. But
when he had convinced himself that he
could accomplish the task before him, be
had all the courage OF his convictions,
and risked his own fortune, and persuad-
ed others to risk theirs, in battling pro-
fessional, personal and political preja-
dice, and only won by finally Offering to
do all he promised or no pay. When it
came to the work the engineering was
really simple, and what there was of it
was carried out by other hands. His
supreme executive ability and confidence
in himself, and net his engineering skill
or reputation, was what won the battle.
And it was the boldness of his projects
and the marked success with which he
foznd men and means to carry them out
that ade his name famous on both
sides of the Atlantic and made al eI-
eressions of his judgment valuable to
the promoters of the Manchester Canal.
But after ell it was the name they paid
for; purely professional advice, IN more
elaborate detail, could have been pur-
chased for fraction of the sum men
toned, and they doubtless had such al
ready in abundance. They wanted to
have their views backed up by q name
that would impress the public and estab-
Ii.h public confidence in the enterprise,
and encourage the public to invest that
money without which the scheme could
no. succeed. Il is an every day method
in England, and it is the usual way in
which the dukes and other titled lerson
ages there are made generally useful.
And il is after all legitimate procedure
when the scheme is an honest one, as
this one was, and Mr.. Esds undoubtedly
gave the same opinion he would have ex-
pressed in his own country for a much
smaller fee. The only difference was that
that opinion was more valuable IN Eng
-
class of Eugiishmen are accustomed TO
the worship of name or title, even to the
extent of risking their fortunes in any
project that mas srf6cient number of
coronets on its board; while the more
cautious American investor Il apt 70 ex
anime the matter for himself and gamble
upon his own judgment in such matters,
rather than upon the opinion Of some
one else, no matter how high the personal
or professional standing Of Chs other
party nay be-